


Stick Together (For Survival)

by dinosaurs_wowenough (loki_godofmischiefandlies)



Series: On This Island [2]
Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Connect the Dots sequel, Crotchety old paleontologists, Daemons, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Jurassic World, Pack Family, Post-Jurassic World, What happens when dinosaurs eat your friends, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-06 17:47:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4231074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loki_godofmischiefandlies/pseuds/dinosaurs_wowenough
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After what the media is calling "The Jurassic World Incident", Owen Grady and Claire Dearing have to deal with the chaos of having a genetically modified dinosaur wreaking havoc on your island. Between Lowery being a technological genius (surprisingly enough), certain crabby paleontologists screaming "I told you so" from the roof tops (unsurprisingly), and several rather shocking endorsements, will Jurassic World ever get back on its feet, or will the island be closed?...permanently</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Refusal

"She's not getting on this boat." 

Owen had a loaded rifle pointed at his chest. For some reason, it was the most threatening thing to have happened to him in the past few days, and Blue was hissing and screeching at the soldier holding the weapon. Owen had positioned himself between Delta and the soldier the second he drew his weapon, and his anxiety levels were spiking. 

"She is pack and we aren't leaving her behind," Owen growled, jaw clenching. The soldier snorted and shook his head once. 

"Well she isn't Bonded to anyone, so she must stay on the island. Those were my orders," he said. His accent was thick, but there was no questioning the fact that he would shoot Delta if she so much as tried to limp any further onto the ship's loading platform. 

"Fine," Owen said, taking a step back. He continued to keep himself between Delta and the gun, but Blue breezed by the soldier and stood by his side. "Then we're staying here." 

He swore he saw the soldier's eye twitch, and the man finally lowered his weapon. Owen and Blue immediately relaxed. 

"I was told to make sure that everyone safely returns from the island," the soldier argued, but Owen snorted. 

"Yeah, well, you've already got thirty nine people refusing to leave the animals on this island behind. What's one more?" Owen sneered. 

"Make it two more," he heard, and Barry and Echo strode forward, Echo purposely bumping the soldier sideways as she trotted down the platform to join her sisters. The soldier made a frustrated sound and threw a hand in the air. 

"Fine, you want to stay on this cursed island with the monsters, be my guest!" he yelled before starting to shout instructions to the captain in Spanish. "Everyone has five minutes to decide whether or not they are staying or going!"

Claire walked over to the platform but lingered at the edge. 

"I have to make sure that the boys get home safe," she said softly. "And there's going to be a lot happening in the next few days that I need to be there for." 

"I know," Owen said, reaching up to stroke Blue's neck. 

_Will Charlie and the prey be safe?_

**_I don't know._ **

Owen let out a short sigh and then looked back up at Claire. "Are their parents going to be able to take care of two Familiars like Charlie and the little one?" 

Claire rubbed her hand over her face and shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not. The little one already eats twenty five pounds of vegetation a day. I don't even think my sister knows what an organic vegetable farm looks like." 

"So what then?" Owen asked, concerned for both the boys and their Familiars. "If either one of their Familiars gets sick, they'll get sick too."

"That's something that we're all going to have to figure out together. I'll be in touch when we get to the mainland Owen," Claire said. Owen padded up the ramp then and pressed a light kiss to her lips. 

"Stay safe Claire," he muttered. Claire rolled her eyes, but a light blush gave away the fact that she was flattered by his concern. 

"You too Owen. No more injuries, not from any of you." 

-x-x-x-x-

"The good thing about the island is that it's almost entirely self sustaining," Lowery said, looking a little less like he was ten seconds from a caffeine induced heart attack than he had earlier. "The water filtration systems and power grid are run off of a combination of geothermal, hydrokinetic, solar, and wind based energies. So the power won't be going out any time soon. The farms should be pretty self-sustaining, but you're going to want to have people going out to the farms to help care for the cattle, goats, sharks, and all that." 

"Right, yeah, we'll send two or three handlers out in the morning to do that. They're all free range, right?" Owen asked. Lowery nodded, glasses flashing with the glow from his monitor, and he yawned. 

"Yeah, but it'll be good to make sure they're getting water and all of that fun stuff," Lowery replied, typing something. "I've sent you a few of the handler handbooks that were on the InGen computers; it looks like the mosa was being given vitamin supplements in the sharks, so you'll want to make sure that whoever is feeding her makes sure that she gets that." 

"I was going to ask about that. There's a gate in the shark tank we noticed, and it looks like there's some sort of tunnel that runs between that and Henni's lagoon." 

"There is; it was originally designed so that the sharks would just swim into the lagoon and get eaten, but after a while they caught on and they wouldn't swim down the tunnel anymore. They're going to have to be caught, killed, and then dropped in." 

"Fun," Owen sighed, rubbing at his face tiredly. 

"Hey, you decided to stay and be Island Alpha," Lowery teased, grinning softly at Owen. Owen raised an eyebrow. 

"Someone had to," he grumbled. 

"Honestly, I really respect you for it. Those dinos need someone that cares about them there. They're intelligent animals, but the way the park was designed, they can't just break free and take care of themselves like they did the first time, or on Isla Sorna," Lowery said. "You're doing a lot of good, and I don't think that any of the handlers there would have even thought to go back if you hadn't screamed down the Costa Rican government for two hours." 

Owen laughed and shrugged his shoulders. 

"They would've come back. I just don't know if they would have been allowed to." 

"Same thing really." 

"I guess you're right. Alright, well, I'm going to go sleep because I haven't really done that in the past thirty something hours. Goodnight Lowery." 

"Goodnight Owen. Stay safe." 

-x-x-x-x-

"I have always stood by my original statement that parks like Jurassic Park and Jurassic World should not be permitted to operate. The animals that these scientists have created are dangerous, unpredictable, and when they get out of containment people die." 

Claire was biting her lip hard enough to taste blood as she stood in the back of the conference room and waited for Doctor Alan Grant to stop speaking. He had been a staunch critic of Jurassic World from the very beginning, and while she understood his reasoning, it was getting people stirred up. She felt like she was about to dive into a shark tank wearing a bathing suit made out of meat. Alan's eyes locked onto her and she kept her head held high however. She wouldn't bow down and accept defeat. The entire population of the island was depending on her careful handling of the press, and this was the first of many battles she would have to enter. Alan's Familiar was curled up at his feet, a reddish-brown coyote streaked with gray, but his eyes were locked on Claire as well. She found herself wishing that she had a Familiar by her side; at her age, many people found it to be disturbing to be without a Familiar, and the reassurance of having your other half there was always beneficial. However, there was nothing she could do at the moment, and so she strode up to the stage when signaled and sat down across from Doctor Grant. 

"Hello. My name is Claire Dearing and I am the park operations manager for Jurassic World," she said confidently, smiling at Doctor Grant. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last Doctor Grant." She extended her hand, but he declined to shake it, instead shifting his hat where it sat on the table. Claire cleared her throat and folded her hands neatly on the table. A screen rolled down from the ceiling behind her, and the projector hanging on the ceiling a few feet away powered on. "I know that there are a lot of questions as to what exactly happened on Isla Nublar a few days ago. I am here to answer those as best as I can, but I would like to ask for a few moments without interruption before I take those questions."

The Jurassic World logo came up on the screen and Claire pulled a remote out of her blazer pocket. "Several months ago, we received a request from the board of Masrani Global to add a new exhibit to the park. Our attendance spikes each time there is a new dinosaur added, and so I contacted InGen to have Doctor Henry Wu attempt to add to our species roster," Claire explained, clicking through the slides that showed the statistics for the park and then the various emails sent between herself, Masrani Global, and InGen. "Doctor Wu insisted that he would be able to genetically modify a hybrid that would fulfill Mr. Masrani's demands for a larger, more frightening carnivore. It was agreed that he would be permitted to do so, but InGen insisted that the exact combination of genetic material used to create what would later be known as the Indominus Rex remain a secret." 

Claire took a small sip of water from the glass sitting in front of her. "While we were aware that this was risky, Jurassic World had not had a single carnivorous asset escape since the park opened. We were confident in our ability to contain the creature."

Alan snorted audibly, but Claire maintained her composure. She clicked the remote again and the Jurassic Park logo came up, followed by photos of Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcolm, Alan, and John Hammond. "The Jurassic Park incident, however, was another story. An InGen employee by the name of Dennis Nedry had created a malicious software program that shut down the entire park's security grid. He then proceeded to steal fifteen embryos from the InGen labs, which we later discovered he planned on selling to Biosyn because he had hit some financial hardships. Had he not taken down the park's systems, none of what happened on Isla Nublar in 1993 would have taken place." 

"That doesn't excuse you for what happened a few days ago Miss Dearing," Alan interrupted, his Familiar stirring at his feet and letting out a low growl. Claire sat up a bit straighter and leveled him with a single glare. 

"If you would let me continue, Doctor Grant, I'm sure you will find that I am not trying to use the Jurassic Park incident that you were involved in as an excuse or justification for what has just happened," she snapped before turning back to the presentation. "A Jurassic World employee by the name of Lowery Cruthers was able to uncover huge amounts of data from the InGen computers that Doctor Wu and the late Victor Hoskins tried to erase before fleeing Isla Nublar during the Indominus Rex's escape. As it turns out, InGen was contracted by a paramilitary organization whose information we have been asked not to divulge by the Department of Homeland Security. This organization was planning on using modified hybrids such as the Indominus, as well as several other species of dinosaur, as weapons." 

-x-x-x-x-

Claire spoke for what felt like hours, divulging whatever information she was legally allowed to give, and by the time she was finished the entire press room was in complete shock. InGen had been, after further investigation, largely responsible for the incident, and whatever InGen hadn't done was largely on Vic Hoskins. 

"Any questions?" Claire asked. Alan was the first to clear his throat. 

"Yeah, I've got a question. You've been so willing to disclose what went wrong and why, but you haven't told us just how many people died. I know you're all about defending your company's assets, but  _real_ people died Miss Dearing," Alan sneered. Claire's lips thinned and she let her eyes close for a second before replying. 

"I know that you think I'm some horrible corporate robot, but I assure you that I'm not. Yes, I do care about the park and its assets because those dinosaurs are living, breathing creatures that deserve to be protected and cared for even if the park never reopens. But, to answer your question, over 50 people were killed during the incident, including my best friend and assistant Zara," Claire replied. Her voice caught at the mention of Zara. Alan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and dipped his head almost regretfully. "Many guests were injured because of the pteradon escape, but no guests were killed." 

Another reporter raised her hand, faintly trembling. "What will happen to the dinosaurs still on the island? Assuming that they can't escape, won't they starve to death before a decision is made?" 

"A select team of around fifty park employees volunteered to return to the island after the pteradons were put down. They will remain there until a decision is made, caring for the dinosaurs that remain there. Some of them are also Bonded to dinosaur Familiars, and therefore must remain in an area that can support their Familiar's dietary and environmental needs." 

"So there is no chance of the island being destroyed?" another reporter asked. 

"I certainly don't think so, but that isn't up for me to decide."

-x-x-x-x-

After the press conference, Claire slipped out of the press room and sagged against the wall. She was exhausted, grieving, and incredibly stressed. She had barely slept, struggling between nightmares, panicked calls from Karen about how to deal with Zach and Gray's Familiars, and worrying about the fate of the island that she had admittedly started to see as home. All she wanted was a long bath, a few shots of tequila (diet be damned), and to sleep until she didn't ache so much anymore. Apparently life had other plans for her though, as a coyote crept around the corner, followed quickly by Doctor Grant. 

"Miss Dearing," he called out. Claire immediately stood up straight and put on her business face. 

"Doctor Grant," she answered. If her tone was a little less friendly than intended, she didn't exactly care at the moment. 

"I wanted to extend my condolences. Losing a friend is never easy," he said. Claire sucked in a sharp breath and nodded once. 

"Thank you." 

"I also wanted to say that I'm sorry that I initially blamed you for what happened on that island," he said. Claire's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had seen the interviews of him condemning her and anyone else that had been involved in the project, saying that they were fully responsible. "When you don't have all the information at your fingertips, you can never make the right call, can you?" 

"No, you can't," Claire replied. Alan leaned against the wall across from her and fiddled with his hat. 

"If what you said about Hoskins being bonded to that Indominus is true...he was really the problem at the end of the day, wasn't he?" 

"Yes. Mr. Hoskins was a problem from the very beginning, and in the end his decisions led to a lot of deaths. Look, Doctor Grant, I really appreciate this, I do, but I am exhausted and I-"

"The velociraptors. The ones that Hoskins intended on using as weapons. They're safe, right?" he asked. Claire's lips parted in shock. 

"Y-yes. In fact, all but one of them has Bonded. They're waiting on her to Bond too. Pack-Pair dynamics and all," Claire murmured. Alan smiled softly. 

"Good. I'd hate to see one of them end up on a battlefield. They're smart and they're deadly, but...they're also rather beautiful when they're not trying to bite your head off," he said, and with that he was putting his hat back on and wandering out the way he had come. 

Claire just leaned against the wall once more and pulled out her phone. 

"Owen, you won't believe the day I've had." 

 


	2. On the Care and Keeping of Ceratopsidae

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, sequel! Woo! Sorry if the first chapter was a tad dry, I needed to write out some badass business Claire because reasons. Chapter Two, woohoo!

"Do you think Mom and Dad are gonna be mad at us?" Gray asked, eyes flickering around the cargo area of the plane that they were currently sitting in. Charlie and Brynhildr were both laying on the floor, Charlie obviously uneasy but Bryn rather content to just sit there with her side pressed up against Gray's shins. 

"For what?" Zach replied, eyes glued to his phone. They had been on the landing strip for what had felt like hours, but everyone with larger Familiars had to wait until they were able to open the cargo bay to exit the plane. At least they got 50% of their original airfare back. 

"Bryn and Charlie. They're...they're gonna be  _big_ ," Gray breathed, eyes wide. He knew that things were tense between their parents, and he was fully expecting them to be divorced by the time they picked them up, but this was a whole new game. Zach looked up and then his eyes flickered down to Bryn. 

"Bryn is going to be big. Charlie's already full grown," Zach said, tucking his phone into his pocket. "But yeah, they're probably going to freak out. It's going to cost a lot of money to keep Charlie and Bryn fed, but hopefully we can get one of those federal grant thingies for people who can't feed their Familiars because they eat too much." 

Gray swallowed roughly and jumped as the cargo bay door hissed open. 

"Hey Zach?" he asked as his brother grabbed both of their backpacks and shoved Gray's suitcase into his hand. 

"Yeah?" 

"How is Bryn gonna fit in Mom's car?" 

-x-x-x-x-

"What is that?" Karen breathed as her boys walked over to her. There was not one, but  _two_ dinosaurs trailing after them, and the one looked like it was capable of gutting her children in a heartbeat. Gray's steps faltered and the chubby little dinosaur behind him bumped into his legs, causing him to stumble forward once more. 

"Mom, this is Charlie, Charlie, this is Mom," Zach said, his tone almost bored. The corners of his mouth were tight though, and Karen noticed how he was fiddling with the wire of his headphones. Her own Familiar, a morning dove named Cosette, cooed in concern from where she was perched on her shoulder. Gray just stared at his sneakers, one hand gently wrapped around the frill of the dinosaur at his side. 

"Right," she breathed, resisting the urge to scream. "Gray, who's this?" 

"Brynhildr," Gray muttered. 

"Bryn-what?" Karen asked. 

"Just call her Bryn, it's easier. Her name means armored warrior woman," Gray explained, blushing a bit. Zach was torn between calling him a dork and being insanely jealous of the cool name. Charlie was literally named after a letter in the alphabet. 

"And is Bryn full grown?" Karen reluctantly asked. Gray shook his head. 

"No. She'll grow to be an estimated thirty feet long, fifteen feet high, and will probably weigh around ten tons," Gray rattled off. Bryn crooned proudly at that, her tail swinging back and forth. Karen had to sit down on the bench nearest them. 

"Oh...oh good. A ten...ton...dinosaur in our house," she whimpered. Cosette clucked a bit and tried to comfort Karen by pushing her feathers against her cheek. 

-x-x-x-x-

She thought that she'd be able to handle it, but after a few days at home the boys and their Familiars were both looking sluggish. 

"What's wrong?" Karen asked, pressing her hand to Zach's forehead where he was laying on the couch, and then against Gray's, who was starting to look his name. 

"They're not...eating enough," Gray yawned, sliding away from her to drape himself over Bryn's side. "She eats...twenty five pounds...of vegetation a day." 

"Charlie's just hungry," Zach mumbled, his feet propped up on Charlie's back. Charlie's claws were digging into the couch cushions, but Karen wasn't about to say anything. She felt tears welling up in her eyes; she was trying everything. Her grocery bills had gone up so high that she knew she'd have to put a second mortgage on the house just to keep feeding Charlie and Bryn, and that probably wouldn't even be enough. People weren't  _supposed_ to have dinosaurs as Familiars, they were impossible to take care of except on that stupid, godforsaken island that they had come from. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her boys were suffering because she couldn't provide what their other halves needed to survive. She let out a shaky breath and pulled out her phone. She had called Claire no less than 30 times in the past week, and that was before the press conference from hell even aired on television. 

"Hi Karen," Claire breathed, sounding somewhat more relaxed than she had in the past few days. Karen quickly walked into the other room and leaned against the wall heavily. 

"Claire, I can't do it," she sobbed softly. "They're already getting sick. I can't...they're going to  _die_ Claire, please, I don't know what to do." 

"Karen, breathe. What's going on?" 

"Their Familiars Claire. I can't afford to feed them, and what I can get my hands on doesn't have the right nutrients in it. They need to be where they can be taken care of properly." 

"What are you saying?" 

"I think that Zach and Gray need to go back to Isla Nublar, at least until we can figure out a better solution."

Claire sighed heavily and Karen bit her lip. 

"I'll arrange a flight back, and I'll put you in contact with Owen Grady. He's in charge of everything going on right now, at least until I can get back to the island myself."

"Go back with them. Please. Promise me you'll go back with them," Karen pleaded. "If I have to send my boys to some tropical island death trap so they can stay healthy, I want them to have family with them and I have to stay here to work. I'm going to have to send them tutors and pay for living expenses and all sorts of things Claire. Please." 

"Okay. I'll go with them. There's a flight leaving O'Hare tomorrow evening, I got them on it. I'll talk to immigration and everything and get their paperwork sorted before morning, okay?" Claire sounds calm and confident, and Karen's shoulders sag. 

"Okay. Thank you Claire. I love you." 

"Love you too Karen. Get some rest." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is really short, but it had to be done. Could you imagine the financial strain of trying to feed two dinosaurs in Chicago?


	3. Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter, especially after I updated so regularly on Connect the Dots. I just started working again and I work a strange shift, so by the time I get home I am exhausted and sleep far later than I should because my job is physically and mentally taxing. I'm hoping to start posting updates on Sundays (so at least once a week) now that I've settled into my new routine though!!! Thank you for all of the lovely comments that keep coming in despite my delays, I can't begin to explain to you guys how much it means to me that you take the time to read and comment on my works. 
> 
> If you'd like to follow me on tumblr, my author page is dinosaurs-wowenough.tumblr.com

"How are you doing on supplies?"

Owen chewed on the cap of the pen he was holding and shuffled through the pile of papers in front of him. He needed a folder. 

"We've gathered everything we could salvage from the restaurants and hotel catering, along with what was in storage at the employee dining facilities. We've got enough food to last a few weeks if we keep it in the freezers and stuff, but we're going to need to get a shipment sometime in the next month and I really don't want to know how we're going to pay for that," Owen said, glancing back up at the screen before returning his gaze to his notes. "We're good on sharks, the breeding program has been keeping the numbers where they should be, but we're going to need feed for the cattle, pigs, and goats soon as well." 

"We'll be able to get whatever you need, trust me," Lowery said, grinning a bit. "Several animal rights groups and individual activists started up a fundraiser a few days ago to keep you guys stocked. There's a gofundme and everything." 

Owen looked up in surprise. "Really?" he asked. Lowery nodded and a link popped up in the chat box.

"Yeah. Apparently since no guests died and all the info on what actually went down got out, people feel bad for the dinosaurs. They're out for InGen's blood though, especially the people who got hurt and the families of all the workers who got killed." 

"No surprise there," Owen said darkly, stacking the notes up as neatly as he could and set them aside. When he opened the link he let out a soft whistle, stunned by the pretty little nest egg that those activists were raising to keep him and his island fed. "I'll send out a survey tonight and see if there's anything anyone needs immediately. I think the vets need some stuff, but I don't know what." 

"Alright, cool. I'll get that out when you send it to me," Lowery said, sipping at a coffee. It was dark where Lowery was, but night had yet to fall on Isla Nublar. 

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Lowery replied. 

"Why are you doing all of this? I mean, Claire said that you're the only reason we've got a shot in the first place. Didn't you do enough already?" Owen asked. Lowery chuckled and sipped at his drink again before looking into the webcam with a serious expression.

"This has been my dream job since before I even went to college...and after I got here, yeah, people thought I was a huge dork still, but it wasn't a bad thing, y'know? Jurassic World sorta became home for me, and now I'm back in my parent's house surrounded by jerks and pigeons instead of dinosaurs and their crazy people," Lowery explained with a shrug. "I like being where I'm needed and respected, and Jurassic World has been the only place where I found that." 

"Well you definitely have all of our respect Lowery. You've more than earned it," Owen smiled. 

-x-x-x-x-

Zach and Gray sagged against their seats and held their Familiars as close as they could manage. Zach was looking pale and shaky, while Gray was just exhausted. 

"Only a few more hours, right?" Gray whispered, stroking Bryn's frill. Bryn groaned and nosed at his leg. 

"Yeah...man, this sucks. Like, we're gonna be on that island forever. Literally until we die," Zach replied, and Charlie chittered at him and tugged the edge of his shirt with her teeth. 

"It won't be all that bad. It'll be fun," Gray yawned, curling up. 

"Fun for you maybe...but there's not gonna be anyone our age around except for us, at least not regularly, and like...what if they decide to destroy the park? Then it'll be us in like some weird grass shack living off of fish and coconut water with everyone else that's stuck there," Zach ranted. Charlie let out a low croon and Zach pushed her snout away from him. "Stop dude, come on," he snapped. Charlie hissed at him and padded off to a dark corner of the cargo bay, where she curled up against a few crates. 

"Don't be mean to her," Gray growled, eyes suddenly bright with anger. "She's your Familiar and just because you can't always get what you want doesn't mean you can treat her like that. You're always mean to people, even when they're trying to be nice to you!" 

"Shut up Gray, you're such a baby," Zach retorted, turning to face his sibling. He was astonished to find that Gray's eyes were blazing despite the layer of tears pooling up in them. 

"No I'm not! You're just a jerk. You can't ever be nice to me because you have to be cool for stupid girls that don't even really like you, and you always make fun of me, and now I'm stuck out here with you and we're never gonna see mom and dad again and Aunt Claire is always busy and I...I hate you!" Gray yelled, and with that he was unbuckling his seatbelt and sluggishly jogging over to where Charlie was so that he could lean against the raptor's side. Bryn snorted, rammed Zach's leg with her side, and then followed after her other Half, leaving Zach in his seat slackjawed. 

-x-x-x-x-

Claire ran her hands through her hair again and shook her head. 

"Claire, breathe," Owen said, watching her pace from side to side in her uncomfortably pristine apartment. 

"How can I breathe Owen? They're already fighting, Zach told a flight attendant to, and I quote, 'fuck off before I get my dinosaur to bite you', and apparently Gray keeps crying and Karen is a mess and I never even wanted kids and now I'm basically raising my two nephews on some potentially forsaken island by myself," she ranted, and as she swept by Owen he reached out and gently stilled her by placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Claire you aren't doing this on your own," he said calmly. Since the message had come through a few days prior, the whole island had been buzzing in preparation for the arrival of the two youngest members of the Jurassic World family. "Zach is pack, and as weird as it sounds, Barry and I aren't going to let him run wild and get into trouble. We've already got some stuff planned for him, so trust me on that. Amanda and Martha are planning on taking Gray under their wings too, and quite a few of the vets were asking if they could take Gray along with them too. He made a good impression when he was here last time, and Zach's just sharp enough to work with Barry and I on a few projects we have in mind. They'll be occupied." 

"They're going to need to socialize with people their own age too Owen," Claire said, sagging into his hands until he simply wrapped his arms around her and held her there steadily. "God, give me numbers, park statistics, PR nightmares, I can handle it...but I'm going to be responsible for two people, not just in the 'they're park guests or employees and so I have to make sure they're happy' way too...it's scary." 

"Well if the park opens back up, there's gonna be tons of kids their age around all the time. Maybe you can start up a kid's program with tours specially geared towards stuff they'd like. I'm sure Gray would love to help you plan that, and Zach might give you and idea on how to keep bloodthirsty teenagers interested too," Owen said, rubbing between her shoulders. Claire let out a sigh and then nodded. 

"That's not a bad idea actually. Maybe we can build some better employee accommodations on the other side of the island too so that employees with families can live here instead of commuting from the mainland every day. It'd save everyone a lot of money, and if they have kids then Zach and Gray have people to talk to. We've got plenty of people who are qualified to teach them stuff, or we could arrange one of those online charter schools to contract with us or something," Claire murmured. Owen smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head. 

"See? Not so scary. You're smart Claire, you can do this. Just don't forget you've got a whole island of people who are willing to help you if you just ask. We all know how much you've gone through to help us. Let us return the favor." 

Claire smiled, and she didn't even jump when Blue padded over and sat her head atop both of the humans' heads just so that she could be included in the moment. 


	4. Tipping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay hopefully I'll get a chapter out today and one out tomorrow. Still haven't gone through comments yet and I'm sorry. I love you all!!!

The floor creaked and Owen let out a yawn as he rolled onto his side to see what the disturbance was. Blue was creeping into his room slowly, her eyes gleaming in the low light of his alarm clock, but she froze as their eyes met. 

"You are really adamant about this, aren't you?" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing at his face. She chirped once and trotted the rest of the way into the room, whacking the door shut with her tail. Owen stood and grabbed the mattress with both hands. "Do I have to?" 

_Pack. Charlie. Nervous. Echo, Barry, home, please._

Owen sighed and hauled the mattress onto the floor before sliding back under the covers. Blue immediately nestled down beside him and huffed in contentment, resting her head on his chest. Her eyelids fell to half mast and she produced a slight purring sound, and all at once the tension seeped out of her body. Owen let his hand come up and he stroked her head gently, humming in agreement. The night had been stressful for them all; Barry and Echo had gone to meet Zach, Gray, Bryn, and Charlie on the mainland, but as they were preparing to leave a storm had rolled in that had left them stranded on the mainland. The weather was still raging outside, but Owen and Claire were more concerned for the boys and their need to have their Familiars eat a proper meal as soon as possible more than anything else. Claire had been asked to remain on the island by some of the workers to do a sweep of the systems and make sure that things were still operational, something that Lowery couldn't actually do from his hometown, and she had ceded thinking that her nephews would be on the island in an hour. 

**Do you think they're going to be angry at her?**

_The hatchling, no, the youth, yes. He is angry, odd match for Charlie, so dark. Don't like it._

Owen's hand stilled momentarily and he let out a grunt. "He's a piece of work alright, but we'll sort him out. He's pack."

_You are Alpha. He will listen or I will bite._

"You're not biting the kid Blue. He's just angry and confused. I remember being that young, and I know for a fact that you and your sisters destroyed the lab, half of my clothes, three pairs of boots, and my old motorcycle when you were at a comparable age."

Blue blinked at him, feigning innocence, and then nudged at his hand until he resumed petting her head. 

-x-x-x-x-

"I want to go to  _my_ school. I'm not signing up for that crap." 

Zach's arms were folded over his chest and Charlie was shifting from foot to foot, picking up on the tension radiating off of her other Half. The boys had been on the island for a few days, and as soon as they started feeling better Zach had become nothing but trouble. Claire was at her wit's end; she needed Zach to create a profile for the online school that Karen had selected for them, but he refused every time it was brought up. 

"Zach please. You know that's not a possibility right now," Claire said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her bare feet slapped against the tile of the floor; she had taken to dressing much more casually now that things were less business and more survival, and her flats were in the corner of the large office. 

"It's all your fault," Zach snarled, turning to Charlie, and the raptor shrunk back, ducking her head down. Claire's lips thinned and she sucked in a sharp breath; post-bonding resentment was unusual, but it could get dangerous (if the Indominus incident was any indication) and could lead to mental health issues for both human and Familiar. She opened her mouth to say something, but Zach lurched forward and pushed Charlie back a bit. Charlie hooted softly, a heartbreaking sound that forced a lump into Claire's throat, and she trotted backwards a few feet. 

"Cut that shit. out. now," a dangerous growl came from the door, and Owen swept into the office with Blue at his heels. Charlie screeched and skittered back, avoiding her sister and the man that was her sister's other Half, but Zach puffed up. 

"What are you gonna do about it, call my mom?" he snapped, glaring up at Owen. It was a bit astonishing considering how much Zach had hero worshipped Owen the last time they met. Owen's jaw tightened and he grabbed the chair from behind Claire's desk. 

"Sit," he ordered, slamming it down in front of the teen. 

"No." 

"I'm not afraid to make you sit kid, and if I do I swear to the gods I'll tape you to that chair." 

Zach's butt hit the seat almost instantly and Charlie hissed from her corner. Blue screeched at her from where she stood behind Owen. 

"Good," Owen said. "Now listen to me very,  _very_ carefully. Charlie is an incredibly special creature, and not just because she is your Familiar. I raised her from the second she came out of her egg, and she's pack. You are beyond lucky to have found your Familiar, and in all honesty I don't think you deserve a gift like that. People would actually kill for what you have, and you're treating her like...like a piece of garbage. If you want to go back to Chicago and die a slow, painful death because your Familiar can't eat, can't stay warm, and can't move around like she's supposed to, be my guest."

Zach was silent, staring at his sneakers. 

"Thought so. Now stop acting like a punk ass and start working with your aunt. She's been trying her best to help you and your brother be happy here, and like it or not, this is home now. You keep this shit up and you're going to be very unhappy with how things are gonna be, because I ain't your dad and this ain't a summer camp. I'm your pack Alpha, I'm responsible for Charlie, Claire and I are both responsible for you and your brother until you're adults, and on top of that we're also running this whole damn island. You can either adjust your attitude or find your own way around," Owen ranted, and by the time he was done Claire was gaping at him and Zach's shoulders were shaking. 

"I-I'm s-sorry," he croaked. Charlie darted over, faster than Owen had ever seen her move, and Zach was holding her tight as soon as he could get his arms around her. "I-I'm just freaked out a-and I don't know what to do and I want to go home." 

Owen knelt down in front of the two and placed a hand on Zach's shoulder. "Hey...it's gonna be okay. I'm sorry I lost my cool. But...this  _is_ your home, and we're all going to work to make sure you feel that way too, okay? You just have to work with us." 

"Okay," Zach whispered, and Blue dipped her head to bop her chin against his hair lightly once, nuzzled Charlie on her way up, and then went back to Owen's side. 

-x-x-x-x-

"I want on that island. As of yesterday."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't think that's a possibility at this time Mr-" 

" _Doctor_ Malcolm. And it really is a possibility Miss Dearing. If I speak out against this park reopening it'll be a disaster for you. You can't sway me with cold hard fact the way you did with Alan. He's got a soft spot for dinosaurs no matter how bad they spooked him. I almost died  _twice_ because of the things, so I want in and I want to see how you and Owen Grady are running this show."

Claire let out a slow breath and looked out the window of her office. The rubble from the I.Rex incident had been cleared, but the damage was still obvious. In the distance she could see the head of a sauropod, she was too far to tell which one, popping over the tree line. There was so much at stake here. 

"And if you come and like what you see?" 

"Then I'll give you the endorsement of a lifetime, you have my word." 

"Fine. Give me a few weeks to finish up with some of the reconstruction." 

"You've got a deal Miss Dearing." 


	5. Circadian Rhythms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's not Sunday...or technically even Monday...but I'm getting a chapter out before I go to work this week, so help me gods. A bit of a filler, sorry

"You're doing great kid, a few more feet to go!" Owen called up. Zach was hanging from a large wire that stretched across an obstacle course about twenty feet long. He was harnessed in, but his face was flushed and his arms were starting to quake. 

"My arms hurt!" Zach yelled back, moving forward a few more inches. "Can I please stop?" 

"You know the only way out is down," Owen replied. Zach winced; even though the harness kept him from getting hurt, the sensation of falling was a jarring and uncomfortable one. Charlie screeched below him,  _keep going_ , and he reached forward again. His arms were stronger now, and his legs hardly ached at all anymore when he shuffled them forward to continue his path along the wire. Never in all his days had he had a physical education teacher like Owen...then again, most of his teachers weren't ex-military. 

"Come on Zach, you're almost there!" Gray yelled, sprawled out in the grass with Bryn at his side. She was bigger now, her frill filling out and her skin taking on a pleasant sea-green color as she grew, and Zach swore that Gray was getting taller. It had only been a few weeks, but the changes were noticeable. Sweat dripped off of his forehead and landed in the dirt, leaving a speckled path as he surged forward and grabbed the bar at the other end of the wire. Owen let out a yell and Zach couldn't help but grin. 

"First time," he gasped, flopping onto the platform and shakily unbuckling his harness. Charlie and Blue were carrying on below him, but he just rolled over and panted, staring at the bright blue sky for a long moment until he didn't feel like his arms were about to fall off. 

"Great job Zach," Owen praised once Zach's feet hit the ground. He let go of the ladder and grinned at Owen. 

"Thanks man. I didn't think I'd do it," he admitted slowly. Owen clapped him on the shoulder, much more physically amicable now with the teen than he had been when Zach and Gray had first returned. The sensation of praise made Zach feel a bit dizzy with pride; Charlie trotted over and slammed into him before allowing him to drape an arm around her neck. She was feeling it too, and Zach had no doubt that Blue's cooing was something about how strong Charlie's fleshy little Half was becoming. 

The pack thing was weird. Ever since Owen had dressed him down in Aunt Claire's office, Zach had felt particularly deferential to the older man. It wasn't a matter of age (because, let's face it, Zach really didn't care at this point in his life) or relationship (oh no, Aunt Claire's boyfriend, so scary), but rather the fact that the Bond that Zach shared with Charlie was connected to Blue's Bond with Owen, to Barry's with Echo, and pack always defers to the Alpha. 

He really had no interest in challenging Owen for Alpha status either. Owen would kick his ass, and Charlie was too young and goofy to take on Blue. Those few months that Blue had ahead of Charlie and the others had made her leaner, stronger, faster, and smarter than the other three. It was a fight they were destined to lose, and it wasn't a fight that Zach particularly wanted to win either. 

So he settled in with his new pack. There were parts of him that missed his parents, especially the parts that called them both once a day minimum, but the simplicity of listening to Owen (who actually wasn't half bad) and keeping Charlie safe made Zach feel comfortable in a way he hadn't known since before he was Gray's age. There were times where he was reminded that he was nothing more than an inexperienced teenager with a really dangerous Familiar, but Owen, Barry, Aunt Claire, and the others were quickly whipping him into shape. The online school he had to attend from 9 AM to 3 PM every day was little more than busy work compared to what the island had prepared for him and Gray. 

Physical education with Owen took place three days a week, 4 PM to 5:30, and every other Saturday. Zach called it Boot Camp Lite Edition. 

Barry tutored them in French, Amanda in Spanish, and Zach had learned more in three lessons with them than he had in his entire life in the American school system. 

One of the vets had taken over their science tutoring. Gray was excelling in chemistry, biology,  _and_ physics. They both weren't shabby with the geology, but the more complicated it got, the better Gray was at it. 

Math and business meant pouring over tables, equations, and accounting books with Aunt Claire after dinner before they were allowed to watch TV or play video games, and that was where Zach excelled. His few conversations with Masrani had made a lasting impression, and Claire had a feeling that Zach would one day be taking her job. Just a hunch. 

-x-x-x-x-

The park was falling into a rhythm, something slow and steady that Claire was falling more in love with each day. Then again, when she stood on the roof of the Hilton in which her apartment resided and stared out at the island as the sun began to set, it was hard to question how someone would fall in love with the chaotic piece of land known as Isla Nublar. Yes, there were still press conferences, legal meetings, and a million and one hoops to jump through, but each passing day made it feel more and more worth it. Her nephews were blooming out here, the tropical sun bronzing their skin and the brilliant minds of everyone in her employment sharpening and molding their minds into something to behold. Their Familiars were finally healthy again, Bryn growing at a mile a minute, and Gray was becoming integrated into the triceratops herd with Amanda. 

Claire couldn't be happier. 

At least, that was what she told herself as she heard the telltale click of Blue's claws on the hard tile of the roofing and Owen's heavy footsteps not far behind. 

"For two incredibly skilled hunters, you sure make a lot of noise when you walk," she smirked, turning and leaning against the railing to accept a brief kiss from Owen. 

"Didn't want to scare you," Owen replied, a smirk adorning his face as well as a hand settled on her hip. "What's eating you?" 

Claire looked away, her eyes following the streaks of orange and purple flooding the sky. "Nothing," she lied. Even if she could trust Owen, she wouldn't embarrass herself by crying about how lonely she was without a Familiar by her side. Each day made it a bit more difficult, especially seeing everyone wrapped around their Familiars, but she would not make a fuss out of it. She had made it this far in life without one. 

"You're going to find them one day, I promise," Owen murmured, picking up on the way her eyes creased at the edges as she glanced almost imperceptibly at Blue.  

"What if they're not on this island?" she replied, tucking her head into his shoulder. Blue hovered behind him, her presence oddly comforting despite the fact that it was also a source of contention for Claire. 

"Then there'll be something that will bring you together. Claire,  _everyone_ finds their Familiar one day." 

"But when?" 

Owen just kissed the top of her head and held her there until the sun set. 

It was a pattern, their pattern, and it wasn't about to break any time soon. 


End file.
